The Denver Broncos land the first quarterback in this class as they try again to rebuild in our Wild Card Weekend edition of the 2022 NFL Mock Draft
14 teams remain as the NFL heads into the postseason. With more than half the league already planning their offseason — and seven more set to join them by Sunday — we again take a stab at how the draft might go with this 2022 NFL Mock Draft at Wild Card Weekend.
Every year in the draft, quarterbacks are the players to watch. Teams that don’t have one are typically not in the postseason and then they have to figure out how to remedy that problem. However this year, the class of incoming quarterbacks hasn’t been thrilling to many scouts.
That doesn’t mean teams won’t try and find their next starter, and in fact, a few of them still do in this mock. But first, we kick things off with a couple of defensive ends who go back-to-back to start things off.
Jacksonville kicks off the 2022 NFL Mock Draft with a powerful EDGE presence
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon
It’s not easy to predict exactly what the Jacksonville Jaguars will do until we know who they’re hiring to coach the team. On top of that, this class doesn’t seem to have a runaway No. 1 prospect.
Kayvon Thibodeaux appeared to be that early on, but Aidan Hutchinson gained a lot of ground on him. These two will likely go back and forth until the combine helps separate them but it also will surely come down to personal preference.
Thibodeaux ends up being the pick here but you can’t go wrong either way.
2. Detroit Lions: Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan
With Thibodeaux heading to Jacksonville, that leaves Aidan Hutchinson for the Detroit Lions. Not only can Hutchinson stay in-state after staring at Michigan but he just seems to fit the system in Detroit a little better.
This isn’t to say they wouldn’t snatch up Thibodeaux if the Jags went with Hutchinson, but this one-two combination seems to be best for all parties involved.